Gus Poyet faces Sunderland axe

Poyet took training on Monday morning, but there is a feeling within the club that it will be difficult to continue with him as manager.
There is also an acknowledgement, however, that finding a replacement late in the season will not be easy.

West Ham would not be willing to allow manager Sam Allardyce - rumoured to be a contender - to leave before the end of the season.

The pressure has built on Poyet following the defeat by Villa, in which the Black Cats were 4-0 down at the Stadium of Light before half-time.

Some angry fans had to be restrained by security staff as they tried to get close to Poyet in the home dug-out, while other supporters left the ground early.

Poyet replaced Paolo Di Canio at Sunderland in October 2013 with the club bottom of the Premier League.

The Uruguayan guided them to four victories and a draw from their final six league games to keep them up last season - a run that included wins at Chelsea and Manchester United and a draw at Manchester City.

However, this term they have won just four of their 29 top-flight matches and were knocked out of the FA Cup by League One Bradford in February.

Following the defeat by the Bantams, Poyet wrote an open letter to the club's fans calling for unity as they battled to stay in the Premier League.

He also said in January that Sunderland's supporters were "living in the past", and has accused the media of damaging the club.